The evidence of children and young people

Evidence in cases alleging the sexual abuse of a child can be given in a number of ways:

• the child may give oral evidence directly to the court;

• the child’s evidence may be reported to the court by another person;

• other witnesses may give oral evidence directly to the court;

• expert psychiatric, psychological or medical evidence can be given to the court orally, or in documentary form or a combination of the two.